Mercury: Planet 1

	Diameter		3,032 miles (4,879 km)
	Average Distance from Sun		36,000,000 miles (57,900,000 km)
	Planet Composition		rock surrounding a dense metallic core
	Atmosphere		virtually none
	Average Temperature		333°F (167°C)
	Number of Moons		0
	Orbital Period		88 days
	Period of Rotation		59 days

Mercury is just under half the size of Earth, and has no moon.

Mercury looks much like Earth's moon, since mountains, craters, and flat lava plains cover its surface.

Because it is so close to the Sun, intense solar radiation bombards Mercury's surface. Mercury has no atmosphere to protect it from this radiation, which includes dangerous ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Mercury orbits the sun quickly, but it spins slowly on its axis. This means that the long days are very hot, and the long nights are very cold.